Don't kill, spray, tear up, or destroy the weeds in your
garden, yard, and fence rows. Many of them are actually
highly-regarded, widely-used, and extremely-valuable medicinal
herbs! What could be easier than growing an herb garden
with no effort? Of course, you'll have to harvest your weeds,
but you would do that anyhow: it's called weeding.
Spring is an especially fertile time for harvesting your
weeds - roots and all - and turning them into medicines.
Here then are some tips on how to find, harvest, prepare,
and use a baker's dozen (13) of common weeds that probably
already grow around you.
To make your medicines you'll need glass jars of various
sizes with tight-fitting lids. And at least a pint each
of apple cider vinegar (pasteurized), vodka (100 proof is
best, but 80 proof will do), and pure olive oil (not extra
virgin) or good quality animal fat such as lanolin, lard,
or belly fat from a lamb or kid. You will also want a knife,
a cutting board, and some rags to mop up spills.
In general, you will fill a jar (of any size) with coarsely-chopped
fresh, but dry, plant material. (Do not wash any part of
the plant except roots, if you are using them, and be sure
to dry those well with a towel before putting them in your
jar.) Then you will fill the jar with your menstruum, that
is, the vinegar, the oil, or the alcohol. Label well and
allow to stand at room temperature, out of the sunlight
for at least six weeks before decanting and using. (See
my book Healing
Wise for more specific information on
making preparations.)
A field guide is helpful for positively identifying your
weeds. The one I like best is: A Guide to the Identification
of New Zealand Common Weeds in Colour, complied by E. A.
Upritchard. (Available from the New Zealand Weed And Pest
Control Society, P.O. Box 1654, Palmerston North) This book
even shows you how the weeds look when they are emerging.
Ready? OK! Let's go outside and see what
we can find.
Shepherds's
purse (Capsella bursa pastoris) is an annual in
the mustard family. Cut the top half of the plant when it
has formed its little heart-shaped "purses" (seed
pods) and make a tincture (with alcohol), which you can
use to stop bleeding. Midwives and women who bleed heavily
during their period praise its prompt effectiveness. Gypsies
claim it works on the stomach and lungs as well. A dose
is 1 dropperful (1ml); which may be repeated up to four
times a day.
Cleavers
(Gallium aparine) is a persistent, sticky plant
which grows profusely in abandoned lots and the edges of
cultivated land. The entire plant is used to strengthen
lymphatic activity. I cut the top two-thirds of each plant
while it is in flower (or setting seeds) and use alcohol
to make a tincture which relieves tender, swollen breasts,
PMS symptoms, and allergic reactions. A dose is 15-25 drops
(.5 - 1 ml); repeated as needed.
Chickweed
(Stellaria media)
has many uses, including delicious salad greens. I cut
the entire top of the plant and eat it or use alcohol to
make a tincture, which dissolves cysts, tonifies the thyroid,
and aids in weight loss. A dose is a dropperful (1 ml),
up to three times a day. (www.ashtreepublishing.com/Book_Healing_Wise_Excerpt_Chickweed.htm)
Daisy
(Bellis perennis) is a common perennial weed of
lawns and open areas. Quite different from the native daisy
(Lagenifera petiolata), the little English daisy is related
to feverfew and has similar abilities. I use the leaves
and flowers to make a tincture (with alcohol) or a medicinal
vinegar which relieves headaches, muscle pain, and allergy
symptoms. A dose is a dropperful of the tincture (1 ml),
up to twice a day; or a tablespoon of the vinegar in the
morning.
Dandelion
(Taraxacum officinalis) is a persistent perennial
of lawns and gardens and one of the best known medicinal
herbs in the world. (The native dandelion of New Zealand
- Taraxacum magellanicum - is medicinal too.) Those who
love a pure green lawn curse the sunny yellow flowers of
common dandelion. But those who are willing to see beauty
anywhere (such as children and herbalists) treasure this
weed. You can use any part of the dandelion - the root,
the leaves, the flowers, even the flower stalk - to make
a tincture or medicinal vinegar which strengthens the liver.
A dose of 10-20 drops of the tincture (.5-1 ml) relieves
gas, heartburn, and indigestion, as well as promoting healthy
bowel movements. A tablespoon of the vinegar works well,
too. More importantly, taken before meals, dandelion increases
the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, thus
increasing bio-availability of many nutrients, especially
calcium. The fresh or cooked green leaves are loaded with
carotenes, those anti-cancer, anti-heart disease helpers.
And the oil of the flowers is an important massage balm
for maintaining healthy breasts. There's lots more information
on dandelions in Healing Wise. (www.ashtreepublishing.com/Book_Healing_Wise_Recipe_Dandywine.htm)
Dock,
also called yellow dock, curly dock, and broad dock
is a perennial plant, which my Native American grandmothers
use for "all women's problems." The Maori call
it paewhenua or runa. It is another plant that disagrees
with sheep, especially when the land is overgrazed. I dig
the yellow roots of Rumex crispus or R. obtusifolius and
tincture them in alcohol to use as an ally when the immune
system or the liver needs help. A dose is 15-25 drops (.5-1
ml). I also harvest the leaves and/or seeds throughout the
growing season and make a medicinal vinegar, taken a tablespoon
at a time, which is used to increase blood-levels of iron,
reduce menstrual flooding and cramping, and balance hormone
levels. If the chopped roots are soaked in oil for six weeks,
the resulting ointment is beneficial for keeping the breasts
healthy.
Groundsel
(Senecio vulgaris) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobea)
are hardy perennials that have a reputation for poisoning
livestock, like their cousin tansy. Although not good for
sheep, these two Senecios are some of the world's most ancient
healing plants, having been found in a grave 60,000 years
old. You can use the flowering tops and leaves with your
alcohol to make a tincture which acts slowly to tonify the
reproductive organs, ease PMS, and stop severe menstrual
pain. A dose is 5-10 drops (.2-.5 ml) per day, used only
once a day, but for at least 3 months. (A larger dose is
used to speed up labor.)
Mallows
(Malva neglecta, M. parviflora, M. sylvestres)
grow well in neglected gardens and are surprisingly deep-rooted.
The flowers, leaves, stalks, seeds, and roots are rich in
sticky mucilage which is best extracted by soaking the fresh
plant in cold water overnight or longer or by making a medicinal
vinegar. The starch is extraordinarily soothing internally
(easing sore throats, upset tummies, heart burn, irritable
bowel, colic, constipation, and food poisoning) and externally
(relieving bug bites, burns, sprains, and sore eyes). The
leaves, flowers, and bark (especially) of the native Hohere
(Hoheria populnea) are used in exactly the same way by Maori
herbalists.
Plantain,
also called ribwort, pig's ear, and the bandaid (‘)
plant - and kopakopa or parerarera by the Maori
- is a common weed of lawns, driveways, parks, and playgrounds.
Identify it by the five parallel veins running the length
of each leaf. You may find broad leaf plantain (Plantago
major) with wide leaves, or narrow leaf plantain (Plantago
lanceolata) with lance-thin leaves. Either can be used to
make a healing poultice or a soothing oil widely regarded
as one of the best wound healers around. Not only does plantain
increase the speed of healing, it also relieves pain, stops
bleeding, draws out foreign matter, stops itching, prevents
and stops allergic reactions from bee stings, kills bacteria,
and reduces swelling.
Try a poultice or a generous application of plantain oil
or ointment (made by thickening the oil with beeswax) on
sprains, cuts, insect bites, rashes, chafed skin, boils,
bruises, chapped and cracked lips, rough or sore hands,
baby's diaper area, and burns.
To make a fresh plantain poultice: Pick a leaf,
chew it well and put it on the boo-boo. "Like magic"
the pain, itching, and swelling disappear, fast! (Yes, you
can dry plantain leaves and carry them in your first aid
kit. Chew like you would fresh leaves.)
To make plantain ointment: Pick large fresh plantain
leaves. Chop coarsely. Fill a clean, dry, glass jar with
the chopped leaves. Pour pure olive oil into the leaves,
poking about with a chopstick until the jar is completely
full of oil and all air bubbles are released. Cap well.
Place jar in a small bowl to collect any overflow. Wait
six weeks. Then strain oil out of the plant material, squeezing
well. Measure the oil. Heat it gently, adding one tablespoon
of grated beeswax for every liquid ounce of oil. Pour into
jars and allow to cool.
St.
Joan's/John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) This
beautiful perennial wildflower may be hated by sheep farmers
but herbalists adore it. The flowering tops are harvested
after they begin to bloom (traditionally on Solstice, June
21) and prepared with alcohol, and with oil, to make two
of the most useful remedies in my first aid kit. Tincture
of St. Joan's wort not only lends one a sunny disposition,
it reliably relieves muscle aches, is a powerful anti-viral,
and is my first-choice treatment for those with shingles,
sciatica, backpain, neuralgia, and headaches including migraines.
The usual dose is 1 dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as needed.
In extreme pain from a muscle spasm in my thigh, I used
a dropperful every twenty minutes for two hours, or until
the pain totally subsided. St. Joan's wort oil stops cold
sores in their tracks and can even relieve genital herpes
symptoms. I use it as a sunscreen. Contrary to popular belief,
St. Joan's wort does not cause sun sensitivity, it prevents
it. It even prevents burn from radiation therapy. Eases
sore muscles, too.
Self
heal (Prunella vulgaris) This scentless perennial
mint is one of the great unsung healers of the world. The
leaves and flowers contain more antioxidants - which prevent
cancer and heart disease, among other healthy traits - than
any other plant tested. And as part of the mint family,
self heal is imbued with lots of minerals, especially calcium,
making it an especially important ally for pregnant, nursing,
menopausal, and post-menopausal women. I put self heal leaves
in salads in the spring and fall, make a medicinal vinegar
with the flowers during the summer, and cook the flowering
tops (fresh or dried) in winter soups.
Usnea
(Usnea barbata) is that many-stranded grey
lichen hanging out of the branches of your apple trees or
the Monterey pines planted in the plantation over there
or in almost any native tree in areas of the South Island
Alps, where it is known as angiangi to the Maori. If in
doubt of your identification: Pull a strand gently apart
with your hands, looking for a white fiber inside the fuzzy
grey-green outer coat. To prepare usnea, harvest at any
time of the year, being careful not to take too much. Usnea
grows slowly. Put your harvest in a cooking pan and just
cover it with cold water. Boil for about 15-25 minutes,
or until the water is orange and reduced by at least half.
Pour usnea and water into a jar, filling it to the top with
plant material. (Water should be no more than half of the
jar.) Add the highest proof alcohol you can buy. After 6
weeks this tincture is ready to work for you as a superb
antibacterial, countering infection anywhere in the body.
A dose is a dropperful (1 ml) as frequently as every two
hours in acute situations
Yarrow
(Achellia millefolium) This lovely perennial
weed is grown in many herb gardens for it has a multitude
of uses. Cut the flowering tops (use only white-flowering
yarrow) and use your alcohol to make a strongly-scented
tincture that you can take internally to prevent colds and
the flu. (A dose is 10-20 drops, or up to 1 ml). I carry
a little spray bottle of yarrow tincture with me when I'm
outside and wet my skin every hour or so. A United States
Army study showed yarrow tincture to be more effective than
DEET at repelling ticks, mosquitoes, and sand flies. You
can also make a healing ointment with yarrow flower tops
and your oil or fat. Yarrow oil is antibacterial, pain-relieving,
and incredibly helpful in healing all types of wounds. (www.ashtreepublishing.com/Book_City_Herbal_Yarrow.htm)